Water. Without it, life as we know it would not only not be possible, dirt would be, well, boring.
Frozen soil without water is just cold dirt. But add a little bit of water to the right soil and freeze it in the right way and strange things happen.
Thin section of a cylindrical ice core (think small hockey puck) using light to show the cryogenic structure. Taken from a depth of approximately 11 feet.
Excavation revealing hidden ground ice deposit at a site proposed for residential construction in the hills overlooking Fairbanks.
This thin section of a ground ice core was taken approximately 11 feet below grade at a site in the hills overlooking Fairbanks.
